Hi! I’m Rachel Smith. I live in California and I started quilting in 1996, after visiting a fabric shop on my honeymoon (the Kapaia Stitchery in Lihue, Hawaii). Looking around the shop I realized I wanted to take a piece of each of the beautiful fabrics home with me! The shop’s owner suggested I pick up a quilt pattern, buy some fabrics, and make a quilt — so I did. I didn’t even have a sewing machine at the time, so I did all the appliqué, piecing, and quilting by hand, without really knowing what I was doing. Later, when I realized I’d quilted too far apart for the batting I’d used, I added some machine quilting (still without knowing what I was doing!) to outline the fish and add wavy, watery lines in each block. Kauai Honeymoon is a memento of where I started and reminds me that there’s always more to learn.

I have a Grace Company longarm frame, but it’s not set up right now because my apartment is too small 🙂  Instead, I’m practicing free motion quilting using my Juki TL-2010Q. I have a lovely sewing studio with a giant, flannel-covered design wall, where I create modern, modern traditionalist, and other quilts that pique my interest.